A funny thing happens when a group of individuals realize that they are not happy in the back of the bus or relinquished to a unisex restroom... eventually the masses discover the inequities and set out to “right the wrongs”. In the concrete association arena, it has become a stark reality that volumetric mobile mix owners are paying dues, attending the same meetings, producing the same product… but not reaping any benefit from membership.It became blatantly obvious at a recent National Ready-Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA) meeting that the benefits of pervious concrete did not include any mention of volumetric mobile mixers. This meeting was designed for municipal officials, architects and engineers... a great arena to promote concrete as an alternative on all types of construction, repairs and maintenance projects (regardless of yardage). The speaker from the NRMCA was Doug O’Neil, the National Resources Director - Field Promoter for Marketing. When questioned on the exclusion of volumetric mobile mix from his presentation, Doug noted that he was unfamiliar with this niche market and was under the impression that homeowners utilized these units primarily for a yard or two of concrete. He had no knowledge of the capabilities of the equipment or the quality of the product.I have belonged – and paid dues – to our local Concrete Promotion Council for approximately 15 years. The rest of my contributions to the industry are detailed in the attached letter. The attachment is intended to bring, not raise, awareness of the significance of volumetric mobile mixers to all concrete producers and related associations. All forms of concrete delivery and production can remain a viable alternative. Whether we are  or , we will continue to co-exist and (hopefully) continue to promote the concrete industry as a whole. Segregation is not beneficial to anyone - knowledge sharing and cooperation is key to the promotion and success of the industry.It is evident that it is time to demand recognition, since more respectful requests have been ignored for far too long. Volumetric mixers are more prevalent than ever and we have an increasingly powerful lobbying group… so beware of the consequences of dismissing my recommendations.

Here is a copy of the letter being sent to all the Concrete Promotion Associations in the United States, Canada, and South America:

For the past 50 years or so, a viable alternative has existed for producing concrete... the “square” volumetric mobile mixers. For those not familiar with volumetric mixers, these units are a highly efficient batch plants on wheels. They can be trailer mounted with capacities of up to 14-yards or mounted on a single-axle truck with a smaller capacity. These units are capable of producing concrete at the rate of 60 cubic yards per hour. They also meet ASTM and ACI standards. Often used in projects such as highway or airport runways and taxiways, mobile volumetric mixers and rapid setting concrete are a must for public and private concrete production. Unlike the more recognized “barrel” or “round” trucks, a volumetric unit carries the raw materials separately… mixing fresh concrete at the point of placement.Research shows that fresh concrete is superior in quality and durability to concrete that has been hydrating and mixing for a period of time. Volumetric mixers can’t compete on a volume commodity basis, but the conventional ready-mix industry isn’t designed to serve the “custom mix” niche market… so both types of operations can peacefully co-exist serving different customer bases.Recently, volumetric mixers operated by George L Throop Co. of California performed the first U.S. closure of a nuclear waste facility in South Carolina. They also replaced runways and taxiways at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - one of the world’s busiest airports - without any service interruption by using rapid-setting concrete. Locally, in Connecticut, we have specialized in small deliveries – producing 3000-PSI concrete and serving jobs too small for ready-mix companies to accomplish cost-effectively. Since our units batch on-site we have the flexibility of varied start times, access to remote locations and multiple deliveries. Although volumetric mixer companies are a “service business” as opposed to one that supplies a commodity (us “square guys” actually produce concrete, as opposed to the “round guys” that batch it) we both set out to serve the consumer with the best available product in the most efficient manner. I hope that this new decade proves to be one of growth and recognition for the service and products developed by volumetric mobile mix companies.In the past 21 years I have worked tirelessly to promote the concrete industry, however I have made little headway in getting our niche market the respect that it deserves. I was initially denied membership in the Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council (CPCC) of the Ready Mixed Concrete Association, but several years later we represent 44% of the “concrete producer” membership. I have personally authored many articles for all of the major trade publications. Further, I have spoken at the NRMCA annual meeting in Mystic, CT on the benefits of using mobile mixers. Lastly… in my spare time… my son and I set up a website forum for the Mobile Mix industry that can be accessed at http://www.MobileMixHelp.com. We are presently receiving over 40,000 hits per month worldwide on a variety of topics affecting the concrete industry. All of these projects were undertaken to heighten awareness, improve our product and to promote a positive image of the concrete industry.The lack of recognition by the NRMCA has been obvious and disturbing. The recent effort by Jim Langlois of the CCPC is applauded and greatly appreciated. It has been a long time coming and he serves as a positive example for all to follow. I hope that my message serves to heighten your awareness of the significance of volumetric mobile mixers in the concrete production marketplace. I welcome your comments or suggestions regarding spreading the word. Feel free to call or email me, or to visit our forum at http://www.MobileMixHelp.com to network in the future.